Environmental Preservation in Zimbabwe: A religio-cultural nexus.

ABSTRACT: A remarkable metamorphosis has taken toll on the Zimbabwean natural environment. Massive deforestation has resulted in the climatic change. Veldfires and poor agricultural methods have furthervdeteriorated the natural landscape. Zimbabwe is now experiencing more hot and fewer cold days than before. The period from 1980 to date has been the warmest since Zimbabwe started recording its high temperatures. The timing and amount of rainfall received are becoming increasingly uncertain. The trend now, is reduced rainfall, heavy rainfall and drought occurring back to back in the same season. Most methods that have been proffered to mitigate the challenge of environmental preservationare scientific. Little attention has been given to the religiocultural contribution in the preservation of natural environment. Regardless of religio-cultural failure to meet the scientific specification; taboos, myths and religious superstitions in Zimbabwe should not be relegated to the dust bin as they have a role to play in preserving the environment. The natural environment which include; soil, vegetation, water, air, mountains and wildlife has received due care and maintenance from a religio-cultural perspective. In most rural areas where people strongly believe in the traditional ethos, the environment is still intact. However, great loss has been observed in places where these religio-cultural beliefs have beenneglected. It is therefore my call in this article, that in as much as scientific methods have been employed in the preservation of the natural environment, so must we incorporate the religious and cultural approach.
KEY WORDS: Environment, conservation, indigenous, religio-cultural.